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Staff
The staff situation remained good during 1969 and although one full time dental
officer retired and one resigned the vacancies were filled by the appointment of sessional
dental officers, a number of whom were recent graduates of Guy's Dental School. In
December the post of Senior Dental Officer was filled with the appointment of Mr. A.
Longden. The Chief Dental Officer completed the one year course and was successful in
obtaining the diploma in Dental Public Health of the Royal College of Surgeons. Two
members of the staff attended the annual conference of the British Dental Association at
Bournemouth in June. One dental officer attended a Course on Child Dental Health at
the London Hospital and other courses attended included one on organisation for Public
Dental Officers in November and a Conference on Dental Health organised by the General
Dental Council. Four dental surgery assistants attended a one day course on Dental
Radiography.
Visitors to the Borough during the year included the Dental Adviser of the I.L.E.A.
who in January visited all the Borough Clinics. In October four students on the Dental
Public Health Course spent a full day in the Borough and observed the Dental Services in
operation. Other visitors included Dr. Snyman, the Director of the Johannesburg
Coronation Dental Infirmary.
Dental Health Education
In the early part of the year a painting competition was held in all the clinics in the
Borough in connection with dental health. There was a most encouraging response and at
the judging and prize giving which was held at the end of term at St. George's Health
Services Centre, over 200 people attended including parents, children and others
interested. The programme commenced with a puppet show on dental health followed by
the prize giving by Pierre the Clown. In September and October the I.L.E.A. Health
Educator and the Borough Dental Auxiliary combined in touring 40 infant schools with
the I.L.E.A. Dental Health Puppet Show. The response from pupils was striking and in
many cases schools followed up the puppet show by having either an essay or painting
competition based on what they had seen and remembered. At the end of the year a
Christmas project was held at St. George's Centre during which Santa Claus gave each
child a tube of toothpaste and a packet of nuts and crisps.
As well as these activities, the usual visits to schools were made by the dental
auxiliary and the total number of sessions given to dental health education rose by over a
third compared with the previous year.
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